Bran-cleaning machine



(No Model.)

A, HUNTER.

BEAN CLEANING MACHINE.

No. 358,670. Patented Mar. 1, 188?.

I la

nv PETERS. Plleio-Lflllogmphnr. Wnshinglnn. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT ANDREW HUNTER, OF MILWAUKEE, WVISOONSIN.

BRAN-CLEANING MACHINE.

Application filed Augustll, 1886.

To all whom, it concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW HUNTER, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Bran- Cleaning Machines; and I do herebydeclarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to bran-cleaning niaehines; and it consists incertain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts, as

will be hereinafter described,and subsequently claimed.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a vertical longitudinal section ofmy machine; Fig. 2, a detail view taken on line y y. Fig. 1, lookingtoward the tail end of the machine; Fig. 8, a detail view of one of theelastic hoop-see tions arranged at intervals between the extremities ofthe screen; and Fig. 4, a vertical transverse section of the screen,taken on line w :r, Fig. 1, the heaters being omitted.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A rep resents the main casing of mymachine provided with an inlet-chute, a, at its head end and anoutlet-spout, b. at its tail end. In the main casing is supported acircular screen composed of a suitable wire-cloth, B, secured to a framethat comprises a series of hoop sections, 0 D, united to longitudinalstrips E F, the latter being respectively arranged in pairs at the topand bottom of said screen. The longitudinal strips E at the bottom ofthe screen are united throughout their length by bolts 0, arranged atsuitable intervals, while the top strips, F, throughout their length areheld apart for a short distance (say one-quarter of an inch) by means ofa rubber tube, G, or other suitable spring or springs interposed betweensaid strips. The hoop-sections G at the ends of the screen-frame are ofa width equal to that of the strips E F in a vertical direction, andhave their lower halves bolted or otherwise rigidly connected to theadjacent ends'of the casing A, while the upper halves of thesehoop-sections are cut in two at d and united by a spring-hinge, thatpreferably consists of a strip of leather, e, fastened on the inside ofthe circle, and a strip of rubber, f, secured upon the outside of saidcircle.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 358,670, dated March1, 1887,

Serial No. 7.10.391. (No model.)

The intermediate hoop-sections, D, are made of elastic or bent wood, andhave their respective ends suitably secured in corresponding notches inthe longitudinal strips E F, so that when said parts are joined theirinner faces will be flush. These intermediate hoopsections, D, are muchnarrower than the ones 0, and are unbroken from end to end.

Upon the inside of the frame, constructed as above described, is securedthe wire-cloth B. thus completing the screen. Journaled in bearings g onthe frame of the casing A is a shaft,H,that passes through the center ofthe screen, and to this shaft, at suitable intervals, are securedspiders I, to the ends of which are secured spirally-arranged beaters J.To one end of the shaft is keyed a pulley,K. desi ned to have abelt-connection with a suitable driving-power, and the other endof saidshaft carriesapinion, L, that meshes with a gear'wheel, M, j ournaled ina bearing, h, secured to the main frame. The gear-wheel M has its innerface provided with a prismatic lug, i, that at each revolution of saidwheel actuates a lever,

N, fulcrumed to the top of the casing A at 70, and the end of this leverthat comes in contact with the prismatic lug on said gear-wheel isprovided with aroulette, m, to lessen the fric tion between saidopposing parts. The end of the lever N farthest from the gear-wheel M isprovided. with a hammerhead, O, and a spring, it, serves to cushion thedowustroke of the hammerhead when the prismatic lug t on the gear-wheelM has passed out of contact with the outer end of said lever. Thehammerhead strikes against aloose block, P, that rests upon the screenand projects up beyond the top of the casing A, suitable strips ofpacking.p,being employed at this point to prevent the escape of dust.

In the operation of my invention the bran is fed to the machine throughthe inlet-chute a, and is thus conveyed into the screen, where theaction of the beaters J throws it by centrifugal force againstthewire-cloth B, this force causing a thorough separation of the coarseand fine particles. The finer particles pass through the meshes of thewire-cloth in a condition for retreatment by the usual bolting-machines,said particles falling into a chest,

R, that has inclined sides 1* to direct said par-' ticles to adelivery-opening, s, in its bottom. The coarser particles of the branthat do not pass through the Wire-cloth are finally discharged throughthe outlet-chute b at the tail end of the machine. The lever N beingactuated at each revolution of the gear-wheel M, the hammer-head Ostrikes the loose block 1?, and thus causes a depression of thelongitudina'l strips F and the upper ends of the hoopsections 0 D, thisdepression being somewhat retarded by the elastic cushion or springsinterposed between said longitudinal strips and the spring-hinges thatunite the divided upper halves of the parts 0. After the blow has beenstruck the elasticity of the intermediate hoopsections, D, and thespring-hinges uniting the divided upper halves of the'end sections, 0,operate to cause a return of the several parts to their normalpositions.

By the construction and operative arrangement of the several parts abovedescribed I am enabled by a slight blow to vibrate the screen throughoutits entire length, and thus the flour and the fine middlings adhering tothe bran are more thoroughly separated than is ordinarily the case inbran-cleaners of the usual construction, thereby enabling me to securebetter results with a comparatively simple and inexpensive machine.

A further advantage of my invention lies in the fact that the flourproduct is jarred from the bran without rubbing the red coloring-matterfrom the latter, as is the case with machines that employ brushes.

' Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bran-cleaning machine, a main casing having inlet and outletopenings and a stationary circular screen composed of a series ofyielding hoopsections, longitudinal strips secured to the respectiveends of the hoop-sections, and a wire-cloth secured inside of saidsections and strips, in combination with revolving beaters operativewithin the screen, and means, substantially as described, forperiodically vibrating said screen, as set forth.

2. In a bran-cleaning machine, a main casing having inlet and outletopenings, a circular elastic screen supported within the casing, a shaftcarrying boaters that operate inside the screen, and a pinion keyed toone end of said shaft, in combination with a gear-wheel arranged to meshwith the pinion and provided 5 with a prismatic lug, a hammer-headedlever fulcrumed to the top of the casing and arranged to be actuated bythe lug on the gearwheel, and a loose block that rests upon the screento receive the blow of said hammerhead, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a bran-cleaning machine, a main casing having inlet and outletopenings, a circular elastic screen supported in said casing, a shaftcarrying boaters that operate inside the screen, and a pinion keyed toone end of said shaft, in combination with a gear-wheel arranged to meshwith the pinion and provided with a prismatic lug, a hammer-headed leverfulcrumed to the top of the casing and arranged to be actuated by thelug on the gearwheel, a spring arranged to cushion the fall of thelever, and aloose block that rests upon the screen to receive the blowof said hammer-head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a bran-cleaning machine,a main casing having inlet andoutletopenings, and a circular screen composed of end hoop-sectionshaving their lower halves bolted to the adjacent ends of the casing andtheir upper halves divided and held together by spring-hinges,intermediate hoop-sections of elastic. or'bent wood, longitudinal stripsarranged in pairs and secured to the respective ends of thehoop-sections, the lower pair of these strips being bolted together andthe upper ones held apart bya suitable elastic cushion or cushions, anda wire-cloth secured inside said sections and strips, in combinationwith revolving beaters operatively arranged Within the screen, andmeans, substantially as described, for periodically vibrating saidscreen,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, atMilwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of WViscousin, in thepresence of two witnesses.

ANDREW HUNTER.

